Trip report: Cotswolds/London
 

My mom, 2 nephews (ages 11 and 4), and I finally made it to England after a year of saving and planning. My dad joined us on this trip from Las Vegas but had his own budget, rooms, etc so I will not be including his information. We had a fabulous time with the exception of a couple of airport delays (to be expected these days though).

We were very concerned about the costs involved and had a strict budget. I am happy to say we stuck to it and I even had some money left over.

Prepaid costs involved:
RT air BNA to LGW $3117.48
Single train LGW to CHN (Cheltenham): $33.43
Single coach CHN to London Victoria: $54.31

Day 1
Monday, May 28
My sister drives us all to Nashville for our 12:20 flight connecting through Newark. We arrive about 9:15 AM not sure if there would be long lines because it was a holiday. We did encounter lines at check-in because there was a large school group. It appears CO no longer uses people to check in so I had my first experience with a kiosk. I typed in my confirmation number and scanned all our passports and the machine spit out all 8 boarding passes. We checked our bags and proceeded to security where there was a 5 minute wait. The kids were ready for a snack so we got a little something to eat. I had put $100 aside as airport money for both flight days and it was a good thing because the 11 yo is currently in a growth spurt and eats everything is sight. We then stopped at the little gift shop and purchased GooGoo Clusters for a friend we were meeting in London. Our gate had lots of room so the kids were able to run around and get all the wiggles out before sitting on planes for 11 hours. We boarded on time and left the gate. As we were taxing on the runway we made a little turn on to a side area where we sat for some time until the pilot came on and said we would be delaye for an hour and 15 minutes due to haze in Newark. They were only allowing so many planes to land at a time so all incoming flights were going to be involved. The engines were shut off, the door opened for air and the FA served ice water and peanuts while the captains opened the cock pit for the kids to take a look at. I was surprised at how well my nephews did with the confinement. We had packed lots of things for them to do and they were very good about the delay. We finally took off for our 2 hour flight to Newark arriving just as our fligh to LGW was asking passengers to line up for passport checks. We headed there before one last bathroom and beverage stop. Our 6:50 PM departed slightly late and we settled in to our seats to watch the inflight entertainment. The 11 yo was ecstatic there were video games and cartoons. I tuned in to the movie: Because I Said So (not worth the rental money) while they served a snack. Once the movie was over they began serving dinner. I had the chicken and nephew had beef. My mom and other nephew were in the row in front of us and they did the same thing. It wasn't half bad for airline food. I'm not a foodie so it was fine for me. I then tried to sleep and got about 2 hours the whole flight. I had to switch seats with nephew because the woman behind him had put her feet on his seat back and he couldn't recline. I wanted him to get a better sleep so he wouldn't be too cranky in the morning. I watched the sky lighten over the Atlantic and finally had to wake the guy on the aisle because I needed the bathroom desperately. They had begun to serve breakfast at this point and passed my row while I was up. Nephew did not get me a tray and they did not leave one so I was left to drool over his croissant and fruit while my tummy gurgled.

Day 2
Tuesday, May 29
We landed on time at about 7 AM local time and proceeded to immigration (no problems), baggage, and ATM where I got my first £200 and the train station. I couldn't find the Barclay's ATM so decided the $5 charge by BofA was worth it when my brain wasn't functioning well and I didn't want to be running all over an unfamiliar airport. We had reservations on a 9:15 train and there was a bit of time so we got a muffin and some water and sat to watch the world go by. We boarded the train, stowed our luggage and settled in for the first of 3 connections to Cheltenham. The kids loved the train. The 4 yo is quite enamored of them and we have a large Thomas the Train collection to prove it. We all had trouble keeping our eyes open but I was diligent about listening for our stops on all 3 trains. We finally arrived in Cheltenham about Noon and proceeded out of the station to a taxi area. We arrived a few minutes later at our accommodation: Lonsdale Guest House on Montpellier Drive. Our hosts, the Mullinson's were awaiting us and we had a nice check in. The home was built in 1806 and was just the thing we had imagined an English B&B to be. My mom, 4 yo and I were in room 3: 1 double bed and 1 twin bed ensuite. My dad had room 1 which was the same configuration and the 11 yo slept there. We were all exhausted after almost 24 hours of travel so we closed the curtains and took a nap. We woke up about 4 and i was still groggy but famished at this point. We refreshed ourselves and headed out to explore a bit of Cheltenham and have dinner. I had a map and the names of some budget restaurants and off we went. We couldn't believe we were really in England after all our planning and dreaming and took everything in as we walked towards the main shopping/entertainment area. The first restaurant we came to was Pizza Express and since it seems to be written about so much on this board we decided to stop there.
It was early still for dinner and there was only 1 other family present. We looked over the menu and the kids both got the kids meal and my mom and I shared the Margherita pizza and a Caesar salad. We had a pitcher of water to share since we were all still a bit dehydrated from our travels. Once we were finised eating we sat and waited for the bill. And waited and waited. We finally asked the server and she brought it. Total for dinner for 4 £20. I guess in all my research I failed to learn that you have to ask for the bill because I sat in a few restaurants waiting and waiting until our English friend explained. We left the restaurant and proceeded down tree-lined streets past all sorts of shops. They were all closed and it was only about 6:30. The streets were deserted except for lots of wht appeard to be high school kids. We made our way back to the hotel and our hosts informed us most shops closed at 5 or so and the restaurants didn't open until then or later. Different than the 24 hour mentality we have here. We were all tired again so settled in for some interesting TV and sleep.

Day 3
Wednesday, May 30
I was up very early and lay in bed until my mom started to stir. We both showered and woke my dad and 11 yo but could not rouse 4 yo. He was so excited about everything that he had not slept for than a few hours in the past 24. Three of us trudged down to breakfast while grandma waited for her turn. There was a typical English breakfast you could order as well as cereals, toast, juice and coffee. I had the scrambled egg and bacon with toast, OJ and coffee. My nephew and I really liked the English bacon as compared to the kind we have typically here. I finished eating and went to relieve grandma. The 4 yo was still out so I sat and watched BBC Breakfast. Once everyone was done we all gathered for the great awakening and waited for 4 yo to come out of his exhaustion coma. He finally did but was too late for breakfast which had ended at 9. He wasn't hungry anyway so we got him dressed and headed for the Royal Well (our bus terminal for the remainder of our stay). It was a short walk in blustery weather. We were not really prepared for the cold, the wet yes, but not the bone-chilling cold. We only had to wait a bit for our bus to Broadway and it was a pleasant 30 minute ride through very lovely country. Cost for single trip for 4 £7.80. We arrived in Broadway and were so chilled we huddled for a moment before taking in the sight of High St. I happened to be looking down the street and saw a shop with what looked to be sweaters sitting out front. I made a bee line and immediately purchased the first warm thing I found. The shop was the Edinburgh Woolen Shop and actually was very nice and had lots of lovely things. They were have a sale on winter wear so my mom got a sweater as well; cost for 2 £20 which I charged on my CC because it was not a budgeted item. It was the best purchase I made since it rained and was chilly for the next couple of days. We then headed out for a bit of shopping and gawking at the architecture. We found the public WC at the car park off the main street (free!) and then we proceeded to walk up High St because according to a map I had that was how you got to Broadway Tower. We walked and walked and the turn off didn't come. No sign, nothing. We got to a point where the road continued but it looked as if cars weren't allowed. Since we had been walking uphill the whole way my mom and I decided to turn around and find someone back in town to ask. My dad decided he hadn't walked all that way for nothing and proceeded to continue uphill pushing 4 yo in his stroller with the 11 yo following. We thought he would just come back when he didn't see anything but he didn't. We started up the hill after him because he had the boys with him and he is not a "grandpa" type nor is he a kid person. We ran into 11 yo who had lost grandpa. We didn't know what he was doing as we had tried to tell him we must have read the map wrong or something because we saw no tower on the hills. He finally returned and we trudged back down the street. We met up with some locals and asked them about how to get to the tower. They said they weren't sure you could walk and had only been by car. With disappointment in our hearts we trudged back to High St. Since we were all hungry at this point we stopped for lunch at Small Talk Tea Shoppe where I had my first experience with butter used as a condiment on a sandwich. Not really to my liking since I don't eat much butter at home but I was hungry enough to eat anything. Lunch for 4 £23. We proceeded to do more window shopping and looking before another stop at the WC. As I was leaving the restroom my mom calls me over to where she is talking to the car park attendant. She points off in the distance and there on a hill is Broadway Tower. We got to see it at last. The attendant told us it was a good 4 miles from town and you could walk but you had to take part of the Cotswold Way foot path which we had passed on our walk. Our first full day didn't turn out quite as we planned but it was all a learning experience. The 11 yo loved the village and said he wanted to move immediately (he also said this about all the other villages and London). We decided to take the earlier bus back to Cheltenham since it was still freezing cold (to us at least). Single trip for 4 £7.80. We made it back to Cheltenham before the stores closed and did a bit of looking around before picking up dinner to take back to the room. We decided on quick and got Subway £15 and then headed across the street to Marks & Spenser to get some fruit, dessert and snacks for the room £15. We ate in front of the TV and then went to bed early tuckered out from all our activity and a bit of residual jet lag.

Day 4
Wednesday, May 31
We all awoke fully rested and went down to the breakfast before heading out to the bus terminal. Today we headed to Winchcombe; single bus fare for 4 £7.20. After our 20 minute ride we walked through the town a bit on our way to Sudeley Castle; our destination for the day. The day began really nice and we were in t-shirts. A bit of a breeze was blowing but it was not unpleasant. The walk to the castle is beautiful. it did begin to rain in earnest so we put on our sweaters and rain gear, covered the stroller and 4 yo with plastic and proceeded to trudge up the lane. The rain and cold didn't last too long and we unwrapped ourselves for the remainder of the walk. We arrived at the castle to find that the childrens play area (a highligt of the place) was closed and also that children were not allowed on the tours of the apartments only on the grounds and in the exhibitions. A bit disappointed we wouldn't get to see inside our first castle. I had a 2-for-1 coupon so cost for the 4 of us was £11.40. The grounds of the castle were incredible. They had pheasants and peacocks; some running loose. The gardens were extraordinary and the kids loved exploring all the nooks and crannies around the ruins. We went to the chapel and saw the tomb of Katherine Parr. The closest we will ever get to a queen. The exhibition with the history of the castle was great and was housed in a section we did get to go inside after all. I couldn't believe we were walking in a building that had been around for almost 1000 years (maybe not the current incarnation but we did see the original ruins). After seeing all we could we headed to the cafe for lunch. Cost for 4 £20 (we weren't very hungry so shared most items). We went back out to see more of the gardens before heading to Winchcombe to look around a bit. The High St was lovely and we visited some shops and the police museum (£2.50 for a family of 4). The kids enjoyed this immensely as it involved firearms and sharp objects on display. After walking around a bit we decided to have afternoon tea. The first 2 shops we stopped at were closed. We ended up at Juri's Tea Room and Restaurant. My mom and I had the traditional cream tea while 4 yo had cheesecake, 11 yo had a tuna mayonaisse sandwich (a favorite on this trip) and they both had the hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. It was all wonderful and cost was £27.50. We headed back out to catch the bus. Cost for 4 £7.20. We spent more time on High St in Cheltenham just walking and looknig around. We had our tea so late we weren't hungry for dinner and decided to snack on our munchies in the room if we needed. Another early night of TV for us.

Day 5
Friday, June 1
Our last full day in the Cotswolds. After breakfast we took the bus to Bourton-on-the-Water. Cost for 4 £4.60. This was my favorite of the 3 villages. It also turned out to be the most beautiful day. We had dutifully packed all our warm clothing but never needed any of it. I believe the temp was in the low 70's. It was balmy and I got a bit of sun on my nose. I had seen pictures of Bourton and it was exactly like that. The river running right through town with the little bridges all along. Our plan had been to explore for a couple of hours and then walk to Lower and Upper Slaughter. After just a few minutes we changed our minds and decided to just spend the whole day here. We explored the shops, walked along the river and had lunch at a place called the Mad Hatter £21.30. I had wanted to find some china on the trip and did so at a discount shop. I don't know how much of a discount I got or if I was totally ripped off but I got one of those lovely (to me anyway) blue tea sets. It inclued the pot, creamer, sugar bowl, 6 cups & saucers and 6 mugs for £49. I love it and can't wait to use it. We visited the miniature town that was carved in the '30's by a local man. It was fun to explore all the streets we had been walking on in miniature. There was even a miniature of the miniature village. The town was teeming with people and I can't imagine what it would be like in the height of the season. We stopped for a snack at Chestnut House £18.30. After a bit more exploring we headed back on the bus £4.60. We did a bit more walking in Cheltenham and stopped to pick up Chinese take away at a place called Wok In Take Out on Bath Rd (loved the name) £21.10. It was really good.

Day 6
Saturday, June 2
We had ordered a taxi to take us and all of our luggage to the Royal Well so we hurried through breakfast. I had settled my bill the previous night £260 for the 4 nights. The taxi was right on time and we were off on the coach to London. We all slept a bit and woke when the bus made a stop at Heathrow. We watched with wide eyes as we headed into London. The coach stopped at Earl's Court and then we drove past places I had only been reading about; Harrod's, V&A Museum, Natural History Museum, etc. It was very exciting to us. We arrived at the Victoria Coach Station about Noon and using my directions from the hotel website dragged our luggage to Best Western Victoria Palace on the corner of Warwick Way and Belgrave Rd. We had a smooth check in and went to our ensuite family room which contained 1 doubel and 2 twins. It was quite a large room with a very big bathroom and we were pleasantly surprised. cost for 5 nights £545. After dumping our bags we headed back to Victoria to purchase our Oyster cards and have lunch. My mom and I got cards loaded with £15 each for the 5 days of bus travel we planned to take. The kids were both free and I learned from this board it would be easier with a stroller to use the bus system. We ate lunch at KFC in the Victoria Place mall at the train/tube/bus area. Cost for 4 £12.66. After eating we got our bus map and studied it to find the best route to the British Museum. We found the bus and asked the driver if we were correct. He was very nice and said he would announce when we were at the stop. Our first experience with the London bus system and traffic was crazy. I have never seen so much organized chaos. It all seems to work though. We never once saw a traffic accident and the level of tailgating is really high. Our driver announced the stop and we alighted to a busy street. We consulted the map, asked a couple of passersby for directions and finally arrived. The building is magnificent. It was really crowded so we only saw the Egyptian and Greek rooms. That was enough to satisfy the kids as there were mummies and bones enough for them. We decided to eat dinner in the area and found a Subway cost for 4 £11.96. We ate outside and watched the hustle and bustle of London go by. We caught the return bus and made a stop for my dad at Hard Rock Cafe so he could get a t-shirt. We got a bit lost at this point and had to ask several people where to go. Once we got back to the bus stop to continue on the kids had to use the bathroom. We did not see any of the public one's so my mom had to walk up the street to a cross walk and take them to a hotel. We weren't sure if this was OK but it was and we caught the bus back to the hotel. We settled in for a night of TV.

Don't stop now! I'm enjoying this.

Very enjoyable report. Thanks so much for the money details.

Traveling with family is a joy and making memories that your nephews will never forget.

Would you recommend staying in Cheltenham as a base for the Cotswolds? You seemed to be happy with your B&B, right?

My sisters and I will be including both the Cotswolds and London in our upcoming British Isles trip so all the details are very helpful. I look forward to more.

Loving your reports, and paying particular attention to your ability to get around by public transportation, and to stick to a reasonable budget. At least we won't have a stroller and a 4 year old to contend with on our November trip! We stayed in Cheltenham on our first trip to England, 20+ years ago. The B&B was a bit outside town, though, which we had not realized. Much easier to know what you're getting these days, with the Internet maps and all. Our big excitement that trip was the bus ride into Gloucester, and seeing the hill where they have the cheese-rolling contest every year.

Day 7
Sunday, June 3
This was our day trip from the city. We had plans to meet my mom's English friend, her kids and boyfriend at Hampton Court Palace. We started out the day with the hotel breakfast which had been included in the price. Not that great but enough to satisfy until a snack could be had. We headed to the bus to get us to Waterloo Station for our train trip. We weren't sure which bus to take once we got to Westminster Bridge area so we walked. We got our first glimpses of Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, the Thames, London Eye, etc. It was amazing to be standing where so much history has occurred. We made it to Waterloo and purchased return tickets £12.40. We arrived after a 30 minute ride and made our way to the palace. The first glimpse was incredible. Nestled on the Thames was the biggest "home" I had ever seen. The grounds were beautiful and we made our way to the WC before going to the gift shop to wait. The day was another gorgeous one and we had traded our earlier sweaters for capris and t-shirts. My mom's friend found us and we proceeded to purchase tickets. I had another 2-for-1 and the cost was £19. We went into the interior of the palace and made our way to the information center to pick up our audio guides. With all the kids present we decide on the family tours. We did 2 at first. The rooms were spectacular. The narrative was a bit cheesy but got all the relavant historical information across. At this point we decided to stop for lunch. You couldn't take the audio thigs to the cafes so we turned them in. Lunch for 4 £33.65. We again ate outside to take advantqage of the glorious weather. After eating we headed to the maze. It was much smaller than I had expected but we still had a great time. We then wanted to see some of th gardens and proceeded to the area along the river to walk and look at the gardens. We headed back into the palace for the last tour we would do. We stopped for an ice cream snack £7 and said our goodbyes to head back to the train. It was a wonderful experience and the kids all learned a lot. We napped on the return train and then caught the bus back to Westminster for our transfer (finally figuring out the number for this route). We got back to the hotel and My dad, 11 yo and I headed out to find the ATM as I needed an influx of cash. We got a bit lost but eventually found it. We also stopped to pick up dinner and ended up at a place called Bigun's Rib Restuarant. It was American style food run by an Italian guy. Dinner for 4 £24.10 plus £5 for sodas and water from the hotel vending machine. The 4 yo had fallen asleep on the train and didn't wake until after we had finished our dinner. He ate a bit of the kid's meal I brought for him and we settled in for more British TV.

Day 8
Monday, June 4
After breakfast at the hotel we left for Westminster Abbey. Today was blustery and cold again. We left the hotel in the mindframe of the great weather of the weekend. We made our way to the abbey and stood in line for tickets. Another 2-for-1 and the cost was £17. It was crowded so we followed everyone else along the route. It was amazing again to be in a building that has seen so much happen. We gawked at the tombs of kings and queens long dead and stood silently for a moment over the newest grave for Laurence Olivier. We made our way out to the gift shop and hopefully a bathroom. It was across the street. At this point we were so cold we decided to head back to the hotel to get warmer clothing. After our unexpected trip we stopped for lunch at Wetherspoons in Victoria Station £20.46. As we were leaving the station 11 yo saw Krispy Kreme and his constant appetite spoke up. We got a dozen for £8.45. Not exactly a bargain but we are on vacation. We each ate one and put the rest a way for a later time. We caught a bus to Leicester Square so my dad could get another tacky t-shirt from Planet Hollywood. The area was crowded with people and we walked down an alley to the square with a blatant sign advertising a s-e-x shop. Not exactly a family friendly area and it was my least favorite. We made our way to the shop and then stopped in a couple more souvenir type places before grabbing an ice cream at Ben & Jerry's £8. We rode the bus to Trafalgar Square and the kids climbed on the lions and chased pigoens. We then walked to Buckingham Palace. Incredible to see it for the first time. We didn't see the guards in the red jackets but did catch some sort of mini change with guards in black uniforms. We then went to the gift shop and made our way back to Victoria where we caught the bus to Harrod's. We were tired and only spent time on the first floor to see the food halls. We made our way back to Victoria and again at at eht food court; McDonalds for some & KFC for others £12.56. Another night of TV at the hotel.

wonderful report. how do you come across the 2-1 tickets?

Day 9
Tuesday, June 5
Another money saving breakfast at the hotel and it's off to the Imperial War Museum. This was 11 yo request and it turns out we all enjoyed it thoroughly. The building is impressive and reminded me of a capital building you might see here. We walked in to tanks, submarines and planes hanging from the ceilings. It is a boy's dream destination. Both the kids had a great time looking at all the vehicles and playing in the mock submarine. We made our way to the Children's War area and the older one learned what it was really like to live during the time he is so fascinated by. We saw the model house and made our way down the wooden stairs to the first floor. It opens into a whole other level which houses the displays for WWI and WWII. We made our way through the displays somehow losing my dad. Both kids liked going through the foxhole display. Once we got to WWII area 11 yo and I did the blitz experience. My mom is not so enthralled with war stuff so she sat and rested her feet while we did everything. Once we were done we sat and waited for my dad; and waited and waited. After 30 minutes I went looking and found him wandering the main level. He never did go through the whole thing. We all made our way to the cafe for lunch £27.44. Next up was the Holocaust exhibit. My dad didn't want to go so we told him to wait on a bench and we would be back soon. We got to the entrance but the man there said we couldn't take 4 yo in. We tried to tell him that we were OK with it as we are Jewish and learn about the Shoah from birth. He still said no so I sat and waited for grandma and 11 yo. They took about 20 minutes to go through and dame out. It was getting late and we had other things we wanted to do so I did not go through. We went back to the bench and dad was gone. We sat to wait thinking he went to the bathroom or such. After a while we began looking around. An hour later I found him wandering the WWII exhibit. I was so mad at this point I couldn't speak. Not only had we been held up earlier when he wandered off but now we had lost even more time. We had been promising the kids we would make our way to Hyde Park to the Princess Di Playground but with the time lost we had to cut something out and that was it. We left the museum and took the bus the the London Eye. There was a bit of a line to purchase tickets but it moved quickly and we were soon on our flight. Cost for 4 £36.25 (no discounts that I could find). My mom is deathly afraid of heights and did not enjoy the experience much but the rest of us had a blast. The views were great and I got some of my best pictures that day. After our flight was done we stopped for snacks £16. We then headed for our roundtrip cruise along the Thames. It was getting later and the temperatures had dropped so we probably should have left it for the last day but since we were at the pier we did it anyway. We used City Cruises and had a 2-for-1 so the total to Tower and back was £11. The kids loved this and we were lucky enough to see the Tower Bridge raise to let a boat go through. Very cool. We headed back to the hotel and stopped to eat at a Chinese restaurant. I can't recall the name and forgot to write it down. It was very good though and the cost was £40. We stopped at the Sainsbury's across the street for a pastry dessert too £5.10. Tonight we watched the English version of The Apprentice.

Day 10
Wednesday, June 6
Our last full day of touring London. After breakfast we caught the bus to Tower of London which was another highlight for 11 yo. He seems to be in a blood and gore phase. I had a 2-for-1 again but the ticket agent said they were only honoring them as buy 1 get 1 half off. Good enough for me £33.50. We entered the tower and did what all the guidebooks say to do and headed straight for the crown jewels. They were impressive but I thought there would be more. It must have been a slow day because there weren't many crowds. We made our way back to the entrance for a beefeater tour. Our yeoman, Dickie, was very entertaining and informative. I had thought he might be a professional actor but later learned all yeomen have to have at least 20 years in the military. Who knew military guys could be so funny? After the tour we had lunch £30.75. We visited the White Palace and joined a tour of the chapel and weapons area. I knew a lot of the history of the place as a prison but did not know much about when it was the actual royal residence. Again, very informative guide. We then tried to make our way to one of the wall walks but decided against it because of all the stairs involved. So far we hadn't had much trouble with the stroller but decided not to test that here. We went to the Bloody Tower and then the scaffold area. Somehow we missed the other areas and left after taking a few pictures of the kids with a yeoman. We had another snack £8.80 and made our way to Tower Bridge. We opted against going up and instead walked across and then did some of the Thames Path until my mom's feet hurt too much to continue. We made our way to the bus and rode back to Westminster where we got off to walk up Whitehall a bit to see the Horseguards. The horses were gone but there were still guards and they were in the red uniforms. We caught the bus back to the hotel and stopped for dinner at Sole Mio (Uno)£40. We spent the evening packing and re-packing. I had been reading in my guidebooks that you should carry all your purchases with you so you can have them inspected. We had purchased a lot of items and we ended up using my 21" roller and a duffel we had packed for all our loot. My clothes ended up in both the other suitcases.

Day 11
Thursday, June 7
We departed the hotel around 8:15 and headed for Victoria train station where I purchased the 4-for-2 on the Gatwick Express £29. We were on the 9:15 train and arrived at LGW 9:45 for our 12:30 flight connecting again through Newark. Check in lines were long but moved smoothly. As we were in line we saw that most people did not have lots of carry-ons filled with souvenirs. We began to wonder if we had got it wrong. When we got to the bag check area I asked the agent. She was not an English speaker by birth and didn't seem to know what I was trying to say. I decided to go with caution and we carried on the 2 souvenier bags. The one with the china was very heavy and we ended up using the stroller to carry it. We stopped for a snack at McDonalds since I was trying to use up the rest of my cash. A sign had said we should be at our gate 1 hour before boarding so we didn't stop at duty free to shop. There was a gate change and a slight delay but we were finally off for home. Unfortunately we were on the 757 with no individual seat back screens. I was very surprised how well 4 yo did with the little entertainment we provided. He again didn't sleep being too excited about another adventure. We were served a snack and then I watched the movie: The Kid (older and I had seen it several times already). They served lunch fairly quickly and I chose beef this time while 4 yo chose chicken. Again it was edible and satisfying. I particularly liked the little desserts they gave us like Pepperidge Farm cookies. After the movie I slept for a bit and 4 yo entertained himself then we proceeded to color in his books and listen to music on the planes stations. We were given another snack before landing on time. Our connection was only 1 hour so I was very worried about making it to the next flight. We had a short wait and then it was our turn at passport control, or, as I now like to say, Nazis headquarters. This man was the most rude and despicable person I have had to deal with. He had a perpetual scowl on his face and didn't seem to believe me when I said I had been gone for 11 days and only visited 1 country. The 11 yo had gone into the lane a bit ahead of us and went right out the other end to wait. The man was very rude in calling him back; "Hey, you, get back over here". Nice. If this is how US citizens are treated when coming into our own country I wonder how others fare? I was then chastised for using pencil to fill out my form. We went to the next area where we were then looked over like we were criminals and had our form stamped and were let in. No one ever checked our bought items and I was really tired of carrying them around. We got our luggage, rechecked it and made our way to security. Not too bad a wait here either but I must say the people of Newark are not particularly friendly or helpful. I will try to avoid this airport in the future unless CO has such an amazing deal I can't pass it up. We were on-time for our connection however the plane was delayed about 30 minutes. We boarded and pulled back from the gate. We suddenly stopped and just sat for a bit when the pilot came on and said we had a flat tire and would all have to deplane so it could be changed. We trudged off into the terminal again and waited. Once we were back onboard we got in line for take-off with 35 planes in front of us. Original departure of 4:55 PM turned into 7:30 PM. We arrived home at 8:30 PM local time and I was never so happy as to sleep in my own bed.

We all loved England so much. I am already planning to go back over Thanksgiving weekend for a museum tour of things we didn't have time to see. Also, my nephew has chosen London as his bar Mitzvah trip so we will all go back again in 2 years. Our first international trip was a wonderful success. We had a few mishaps but learned for the next time. We made a budget and stuck to it.

I would like to thank all the folks on this board who gave me such wonderful advice whether I was lurking or actually posted a question. I can't wait to start planning the next trip.

LC - I did a lot of research about a base in the Cotswolds with reasonable public transportation. As many on this board would tell you it is more convenient to have a car and it would have enabled us to see a bit more. I did not really want to try to drive on the opposite side of the road and I usually spend my US vacations doing a lot of driving. I wanted to be able to relax and experience the sites without worrying about being in the correct lane and such. There were many villages you could visit using the bus system from Cheltenham. I got a schedule from the TI office by requesting it through email. The website I used was www.visitcheltenham.com. The 2 bus companies we used were Stagecoach and Pulham's and both had very reliable service and were always on time. I also found our B&B on this site. I would definitely recommend Cheltenham if you decide not to rent a car.

Nanabee - I got the 2-for-1 tickets from www.daysoutguide.co.uk. They are supposed to be used in conjunction with a train ticket purchased for the same day. The only time I was asked for the train ticket was at Hampton Court. No one else seemed to care. You do need to sign up on the website and use a UK postal code (it won't accept a US one). I just used my hotel info and received the offers just fine.

nanabee, the 2 for 1 deals that we used in March were from National Rail:
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/
You use them in combination with a train ticket or travelcard, and not with a pay-as-you-go on Oyster, however, so I don't know if that's what trvlgirlmq was using, or whether she had qualifying rail tickets. We had no problem getting 2 for 1 admission at the Tower. If you use an Oyster/travelcard, keep your receipt to present with your 2 for 1 coupon. We used our Gatwick Express train tickets to qualify.

sorry, posting at the same time as trvlgirlmq. The train tickets don't have to be for that day, unless it was a one way ticket, I believe. For a round trip rail ticket, the day of your visit has to be within the round trip period. So, we used Gatwick Express from and to the airport at the beginning and end of our London stay, and all the sightseeing days in between qualified. We showed our train tickets at all our admissions. Maybe that's why we got 2 for 1 at the Tower? Or the Tower admission policy has changed since March.

Topping, because I enjoyed reading your report and it has dropped down the board so quickly ... I think more people would enjoy reading it too.

I was in Cheltenham today and thought of you visiting with your nephews (brave of you to travel with them!) as I drove through Montpellier! It is always nice to read of visitor's impressions of my home town, and so often I find out something of interest in this area that I don't know about. In this case how relatively easy you found it to get around the Cotswolds using the local buses.

Thank you for a great trip report.

What a nice report. It sounds like the kids did really well and what a memory it will be for them.

I enjoyed your report thoroughly.

Love your travel report. We will be headed to the Cotswolds this Fall and your review is very helpful.

Where did you get your 2 for 1 tickets and will they still work in October or is the cutoff date in September?

You can get two-for-one tickets at http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/

Lee Ann

thinking about a similar trip this summer - helpful trip report!

Moved to post simply to say how much I enjoyed reading this. We are long time English residents and I searched 'cotswolds' in preparation for a few days there in the upcoming halfterm school holidays. This thread was informative but more than that, seeing one's own country through another's eyes is invaluable. And trvlgirlmq, what a great mother and daughter you are - arranging three generation travel and keeping everyone happy - kudos to you (and your father reminds me a bit of mine....)I'll think of you when we're in Bourton-on-Water next week - I hadn't planned on stopping there, but you reminded me that the out-of-season village is worth the visit.